Holidays

This celebration is one of the great traditions of the city. Choir meetings are held, floral carpets are made and various altars are set up in the streets of the city through which the magnificent 16th century Silver Monstrance is paraded, protected by awnings made from the sails of old sailing ships.

(April) The float bearers from each religious brotherhood have their own way of carrying their float, and the route of the processions through the narrow streets of the old city centre and along the seafront is spectacular.
A special mention should be made of the concert of The Last Seven Words, which was composed for the Marquis os Valde-Iñigo by the musician Franz Joseph Haydn and written especially for Cadiz and the Santa Cueva (Holy Cavern). It is traditionally performed on Good Friday, as is the Miserere in the Cathedral of Cadiz. Thus Easter week is im-portant because it shows the way the people of Cadiz express themselves, through the incomparabe beauty of the images of popular religion.

In this traditional celebration, groups of local people in fancy dress make satirical and critical comments on current affairs. In the run-top to Carnaval, popular fiestas are held which give a taste of what is to come: the “pestiñada”, “erizada” and “ostionada”, so called beacause of the products offered by the organisers of each event (honey-coated pastry, sea urchins and oyters respectively). Then the Official Group Competition takes place in three cate-gories: children, junior and adult. There are also street parades; in the main one on Carnaval Sunday, around 8,000 people parade down one of the principal avenues.

(23rd June) Throughout the afternoon and until midnight the day before San Juan (Saint John) groups of people move round the city following an itinerary marked by the bonfires where effigies of well-known local, national or international figures and events are burned. It is essentially a celebration in the streets.

“Ramon de Carranza” Football Trophy (August) Alongside the longest-running friendly football tournament in Spain, a series of parallel activities in traditionally organised. These include concerts, fireworks displays and barbacues on the Victoria beach where thousands of mostly young people gather until dawn.

The Virgen of the Rosary. (7th October) This is one of the most deep-rooted fiestas in Cadiz. It starts early in the morning with floral offerings to the Virgen of the Rosary by members of the public, some wearing regional dress. There is a magnificent procession followed by a firework display.

(1st November) A colourful celebration with a long history in the city. The market stalls are beautifully decorated, often cleverly depicting current events with humour and satire.
The wholesale trader’s market is also open to the public.

The most important events are the Christmas scene contests held at the different parish churches and the performances of bell players along different itineraries.